


To Live a Normal Life? How impossible!

by 09Pyros_09Hydros



Series: To Live Universe [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Heinoustuck, Ashen Romance | Auspistice, BAMF Dave, BAMF Jake, BAMF John, BAMF Karkat, BAMF Roxy, Body Dysphoria, Body Horror, Body Modification, Body mutilation, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Crow - Freeform, Dark, Eldritch, Eventual Happy Ending?, Everyone is freaking out, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, God Tier OP, Gore, Heinoustuck Appearances, Humanstuck, Jake is freaking out but trying to help, Karkat is so done and tired, Karkinos, King - Freeform, M/M, Misunderstandings, Monsters, Multi, On the Run, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Pale Shenanigans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secrets, Self-harming, Superherostuck, The adults are concerned, The kids are dealing, The world is freaking out, Time Shenanigans, clown, everyone is concerned, kind of, they're trying their best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-04-23 17:26:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19155652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/09Pyros_09Hydros/pseuds/09Pyros_09Hydros
Summary: They had did it, they had won... so why don't the other's remember? Why are they back on earth with their powers? Why were they turning into monsters? What the hell is going on?John, Dave, Jake, Roxy and Karkat are the only ones who remember the game. Their powers have gone with them but something seemed to have gone wrong, they were turning into monsters! They've ran from their newly restored families who have no memory of the game but know that they turned into monsters. To keep them safe, they try to keep their distance and protect them as best as they can.Rifts from the game are appearing but the game monsters are stronger, more violet and more terrifying. Old enemies are on the horizon and the people of the Earth are terrified of them and what's to come.Gog help them all.





	1. To Wake From A Dream into a Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> So in the server some brilliant people thought of a brilliant idea that I _could NOT_ resist to write about. 
> 
> Curse my inability to resist my writing urges! But not really because this is actually very cool! To Live has gotten an AU! How Impossible is now here at the sidelines! 
> 
> This is going to be fun XD
> 
> Also with how much I've improved over my writing, the first few chapters are definitely going to be different compared to the original To Live, also don't worry! I will continue to write that though my updates will be slower with a new story. 
> 
> I have no self restraint whatsoever. I apologize.

* * *

They were all smiling as he opened the door, they were finally done. They were finally free!

Or...

So they thought they were. Turns out, not all of them made it to the other side completely and the universe that they claimed and thought was their prize turned out to be very different. And unknown to them, their future was very, very  ** _dark._**

* * *

Dave gasped as he sat awoke, his eyes frantic as he looked around the dark room in disbelief "Wha.." he trailed off as he looked around even more. It almost looked like his old room from his old apartment, only less wires and shit. His mind was going a mile per minute and his breathing was getting faster ' _What the hell?!_ ' he thought to himself then forced himself to calm down. He had to get himself calm, to asses things but his mind was  _throbbing_ and his body was  _aching_ , there was a strange feeling on his back and he couldn't focus as straight as he should be.

He took in a deep breath and got of his bed,  _his sheets were still there and not being worn by the local nakodiles_ , and looked into the mirror of his room. He twitched, he de-aged. He had been a ripe 19 before in the game, now he looked to be around what, 15? 16?

' _16._ ' His mind whispered and the time player lurched forward, groaning and clutching his head as his head mentally bursts with another set of memories. It painfully tore into his head, making his groan as he rested his forehead against the mirror, his eyes glowing a soft red, he's probably hallucinating but he hears gears grinding from nowhere as well as the ticks and tocks of a clock.

' _Shit._ ' He thought faintly and didn't hear his door creak open and was too busy nursing his aching head against the smooth and cold mirror, the ache of his body pulsed and he has no idea what to do. 

"Yo Dave, you alright there?"

He froze and looked back, ignoring the pain in his head and the ache of his body for now. It sounded like Dirk... but it wasn't. His breath hitched as the light from the outside of his room poured into his own dark room, the one that opened his door and letting in the light was someone he thought he would never see again.  _Not after he fucking **died**_ **.**

"Bro..." He whispered and winced as his brain lurched and groaned into his hand, his 'Bro' looked alarmed and entered the room completely. Something that made him wince on instinct- his Bro would never enter his room in such an obvious way, not unless he needed to. 

"Fuck, Dave. You alright? Wha's the matter wit' you?" Bro asked, voice slurring a bit since it was so late at night and he had just woken up for a glass of water, Dave bit back a pained groan or maybe it was a sob? He didn't know he didn't want it coming out of his mouth. 

"M'fine." Dave mumbled out and quietly panted when Bro laid a hand on his shoulder, the elder looked at him sternly "The fuck you are" was what he got in reply. He looked concerned and even slightly afraid as he sees the slight glow in Dave's eyes but manages to reason out that it was probably because there was barely any light in Dave's room aside from the light that was spilling into the room.

"The fuck's wrong with him" Now  _that_  sounded like Dirk, and this time it was. Both males looked up to see Dirk leaning against the door's frame with a frown, it was then that Dave noticed that they were all shade-less aka no shades were adorning their faces.

' _What the fuck? My shades fuck where are they...Thank god, I still have them, they should be somewhere, fuck fuck fuck it **hurts**_.' Dave thought distractedly as Dirk entered his room as well, both Bro and Dirk were talking to each other but Dave wasn't listening. He was trying to think and look over his memories but his throat felt dry and the pain in his mind and body was slowly getting to him.

"I have no fucking idea, he was like this when I opened the door"

"Really? Dave, fuck big bro you look like hell, you listening to us?"

Dave breathed through his nose and nodded, "Yeah, m'fine though. Just, give me a minute." he told them biting back a pained noise as his brain let out another painful wave of information and as his body pulsed once more with pain. He was hella in deep shit and fuckery right now. Both brothers sent him a deadpanned look ' _Like Hell You Are!_ ' it obviously said and Dave found it disturbing to see the two orange eyes, Bro's eyes being a shade darker and much more mature than Dirk's- he shouldn't be seeing those eyes, they should all be wearing  _shades-_

He ignored them and shrugged off their concern and stumbled out his room, still dressed in a plain shit and red boxers that he woke up in. He needed a glass of water, to clear his head,  _and to find out if anyone else was in the same shit he was in-_

**_Only to feel immeasurable pain._ **

Dirk and Bro were startled to see Dave collapse on the ground and start screaming in utter agony. A  _heinous_ transformation triggering inside him.

* * *

In their respective houses, four other people were experiencing the same thing.

Roxy been starin at her 'mother' and her 'mother', her 'mother' as in 'daughter-sister-mother' but her mind was saying 'older-sister' was quietly asking if she was alright while her 'mother' as in 'mother-her-beta' who was drunk but still sober enough to ask if she was alright as well. She originally wanted a drink but the moment she entered her room, locking the door behind her, she started screaming, alerting Rose and Roxanne who were about to head to bed.

Jake was trapped in his bathroom where he had been staring down at his hands as his head ran through another set of memories that he seemed to gain,  _memories that shouldn't really exist_. Jade his 'grandmother-sister-daughter' was his 'older-sister' now in his head clearly from his memories but now he also had a grandfather as in 'grandfather-him-beta' who wasn't dead and they weren't even living on an island! Just as he was about to leave, pain bloomed in his skull, on his skin, from his chest- his screams of pain and agony woke Jade and Grandpa Jacob from their sleep.

Karkat was staring at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, mouthing curses as he clutched his head in pain and confusion and probably some fear. He was human,  _but he isn't supposed to be human_  but his memories kept insisting both! He growled and landed his forehead against the mirror with a quiet thud, he didn't want to wake up his  _family_. He had a family now, and they were human and they weren't supposed to be human as they were supposed to be his dancestor and ancestor- **_PAIN- FEAR- PAINPAINPAIN-_** Just like Jake, his father and brother woke up to hear Karkat screaming, the Serket and Nitram families awoke to hear the scream as well since they were close neighbors.

As for John...

* * *

It was a quiet and peaceful night when within the Egbert as well as Crocker house as Jack woke up in the middle of it, the feeling of thirst in his throat. He simply wanted a glass of water, something that he would definitely get as he rose from bed and headed towards the kitchen, passing certain rooms as he did so. His brother, niece and precious son seemed to be asleep. Which is good. His brother and niece had just arrived today, John had been so happy to see them both and they, him.

James was looking forward to this summer, spending time with his family as well as his friends, he knows John and Jane are looking forward to it. He's in the kitchen when something seems inherently wrong. A strange feeling in the night air, almost unnoticeable. Almost. James is putting down an empty glass when he hears it.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAA AAHHHHHHHHHH!!!**_"

That was- That- "JOHN?!" Jack ignores the glass shattering as he dashes out of the kitchen and towards his son's bedroom. His son was SCREAMING, he sounded like he was in pain- "John? JOHN?! John, open the door! John what's wrong?!" Jack asked, demanded as he tried to open his son's room.

The door is locked. He's banging on it, his son's screams continue and he faintly sees both Jack and Jane coming out of their rooms looking slightly tired but mostly alarmed and concerned. "John I'm- I'm going to break the door down, hang on son! I'm coming!" It doesn't take long for him to break open the door with his strength. Joe right behind him. They stumble into John's room and...  

"O-Oh my god..." Jane whispered in horror as she, her father and her uncle saw what was happening in John's room. 

John was  _writhing in mid-air_ , his body contorting as he twisted in the air. He was clearly in pain, it told from his agonizing scream as well as the fact  _his arm was torn off-_

John's left arm was cleanly cut off, blood spurting out of the newly lost limb, said limb was on the floor, twitching slightly as John continued to scream. His right arm was in a similar situation, but now it was barely hanging on the broken bone that was connecting it to the shoulder. A long cut mysteriously appeared on John's right eye, bleeding furiously and from John's right eye, green liquid began to drip instead of blood or tears. From the side and top of John's head, a ragged and torn jester had appeared, one of the three tops was torn off and was now gushing blue slime, it dripped down on the floor along with the green liquid and John's blood, mixing together. 

"J-John?" Jack asks when John stopped screaming, an eerie silence falling on the Crockerbert family as John panted in mid air, but he was still bleeding slash crying slash gushing blue and green slime liquid.

Suddenly, John dropped from the air and on to his feet, bruises and bleeding stitches started appearing along his skin making him cry out in pain. "John!" Jack says, uncaring of what his son looked like now- his son was in  _pain_ , he took two steps before John shouted out, voice distorted and painful. 

" ** _sTOP! staaAYY AWaaAYY!_** " He says, the arm on the floor rose in the air, surprising Jack and forcing him to take a step back when the floating dismembered arm took a swipe at him. " ** _Ahhhahh hahhhh.... haahhahahahaHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH?!?!?_** " John started laughing, and crying. Tears mixed with blood and slime fell from his eyes as he laughed, blood dripping from his mouth.

Jane fearfully stuck to her father but was clearly very concerned over John. Joe was the same, tightly holding on to Jane the three Crockerbert shared a look and looked determined to help John. "John, son, I don't know what happened but- we can help." Jack said slowly, taking a cautious step forward, freezing when John shifted back, his laughter and cries dwindling down. "John please-" 

**_Knock Knock Knock_ **

From the window, three knocks sounded, interrupted the family and Jack's attempt of calming his confused and pained son down. From his son's  _second story_ window, a strange masked boy was there, hair dark and blood and equally dark and bloody wings flapping lightly behind him. His mask was a plague doctor's mask, only the beak was bloody and there were shades with moving gear-like eyes on it. It confused and frightened Jack, Jane and Joe but John could only stare at him with a look of slight hope. 

" ** _john._** " The boy said- his voice, a mixture sound of a crow's caw as well as the sound of a grinding gear. He shifted and- was that a  _sword_ in the middle of the boy's chest?! 

John, though he still looked like he was in pain called back out, his distorted voice clear, " ** _DaVE!_** " He sounded relieved and happy, more mixed tears falling down his face. 

"Dave?!" 

Dave let out a grinding caw sound, a sickening squelching sound was heard as Dave took out the sword from out of his chest- it was a katana. Dave used the sword to pry open John's window, " ** _john. we have to go._** " He said, voice warbling slightly, " ** _we have to go._** " He repeated, returning the sword into his chest. 

John didn't hesitate, he quickly took off the ground, floating towards the open window. 

"JOHN!" Jack shouted in surprise, fear and concern, "John no! Come back!" John only glanced back at him once with a vague look of guilt and sadness before jumping out of the window, quickly, the three Crockerberts scrambled towards the window. "John!" 

Out of the window, John gave Dave his hand- the one that was still connected to him at least. "John! Please, come back!" Jane cried out, watching the grotesquely transformed John and Dave fly away- Dave's black wings flapping lightly, black feathers falling slightly as they left into the night sky. 

From a few other blocks, the same thing happened with a certain boy, a bit differently though.

And two other locations, the same thing happened as well. 

Karkat, now more crustacean than he would like, glanced back to the horrified pairs of red eyes as they watched him leave, two other families watched as well, Karkat's heart thumped and broke before he looked back into the sky, following the winged figure as he did so.

In the Lalonde house, Roxanne and Rose had finally broke into Roxy's room only to see a black flaming blur escape out the window, black feathers left behind.

In the Harley household, Jade and Grandpa Jacob watched with wide, fear-filled eyes as Jake screamed before escaping out of the window, accidentally breaking the window in the process. 

* * *

 

Dirk and Dereck Strider panted, eyes wide and covered in scratches and slight bruises as they stared at the mess of Dave's room. Black feathers and blood littered across the room, the window was open and the night air. 

Earlier on, their brother had collapsed into himself before growing a pair of black fucking  _wings_ from his back, his hair had turned from blond to black. Trying to help him triggered a violent panic attack, and it was only because  _another_ fucked up Dave appeared, throwing himself out of the window. 

" ** _...stay away from us..._** " 

Those were Dave's last words before he left.

Dirk and Bro were at a lost...

Until Jane opened a memo.

* * *

gutsyGumshoe [GG] opened memo 'GUYS HELP'

GG: DIRK  
GG: SOMEONE  
GG: ANYONE  
GG: ANSWER PLEASE, JOHN CHANGED HORRIBLY AND HE LEFT WITH DAVE!!  
GG: DIRK PLEASE TELL ME THAT THE BOY WITH BLACK WINGS ISN'T DAVE

timeausTestified [TT] joined the memo  
tentacleTherapist [TT] joined the memo  
gardenGnostic [GG] joined the memo

TT: Shit.

GG: HELP JAKE'S GONE AND HE TURNED INTO A GREEN MONSTER!!

TT: What.

TT: Roxy has disappeared but we found blood and black feathers in her room.  
TT: Can someone please explain what is going on.

GG: theres so much blood here  
GG: and slime  
GG: oh god john

* * *

arachnidsGrip [AG] opened a memo 'MONSTER KARKAT???'

arachnidsGrip [AG] sent a picture what the fuck.jpeg

AG: GUYS????????  
AG: WAKE THE FUCK UP AND LOOK AT THIS  
AG: WAKE THE FUCK UP KARKAT'S GONE

adiosToreador [AT] joined the memo

AT: we're with kankri and kelvin right now  
AT: we have no idea what happened

twinArmageddons [TA] joined the memo  
apocalypseArisen [AA] joined the memo  
cuttlefishCuller [CC] joined the memo

* * *

" ** _WhaT Happened to Us?_** " 

" ** _i don't know._** "

" _ **O fpmy lmppeeee!!**_ " 

" ** _WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK-_** "

" ** _HeLP guys._** " 

" ** _Kslr?!_** " 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter done! 
> 
> Expect angst, family feels and more in the future <3
> 
> Also Grimdark talk: 
> 
> I don't knowww  
> Jake?!


	2. To Deal with the Circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 2!
> 
> Yeah I really hate leaving my none one-shot stories with one chapter so naturally I just had to add another chapter to this story as soon as possible.
> 
> Slow going but I have other project to worry about too haha.
> 
> Also yes, I'm not going to do typing quirks for the humans in this one, it'll be easier for me to do this since I'll be adding quirks to the Heinous Kiddies as natural speech and text.
> 
> It'll be similar ish in the beginning but I will be taking this story in a different way than To Live! How Preposterous. Maybe. It'll depend really, we'll see ;]

* * *

TT: Will someone please explain on what's going on?   
TT: My sister is missing and there is blood and feathers everywhere!  
TT: My mother and I found a puddle of black goo as well.

GG: I wish I knew Rose but John has transformed into some grotesque jester!   
GG: He left behind a lot of blood and blue and green slime :((

gutsyGumshoe [GG] has sent a picture!

TT: ...  
TT: Fuck that's a lot of blood.

GG: D:  
GG: what happened to everyone?!   
GG: my brother turned into some green skinned skeleton monster and broke out the bathroom window!!!!

TT: I  
TT: I have no idea what's going on.  
TT: If what you're saying really is true, then did Roxy turn into a monster as well?

TT: It is the truth and yeah, by the looks of it.  
TT: Check this out.  
TT: It's from Bro's security cameras around the apartment.

timeausTestified [TT] sent a video!

GG: !!!!  
GG: DAVE?!!?!?! DDD:

GG: oh my god  
GG: It is Dave!  
GG: But, there were two of them???  
GG: I am so confused!!

TT: ...  
TT: We need to find them.  
TT: Now.

TT: I agree but we have no fucking idea where they went or what the fuck happened.   
TT: Why did *our family* change?   
TT: Why them?  
TT: What happened?

TT: Unfortunate questions that we don't have answers to.  
TT: But hopefully it'll be answered if we manage to find them.

TT: Good point but again, we have no idea where they went.

GG: They couldn't have gotten far could they?  
GG: And it's the middle of the night!  
GG: Oh gosh...  
GG: Wait.  
GG: Hold on.

GG: grandpa could have used jakes phone to track them but jake didnt bring his :(((

TT: I have a feeling that even on the offhand chance that they did bring their phones, we still wouldn't be able to find them.

GG: GUYS!  
GG: I just remembered something!  
GG: When we were looking out the window, I think I saw someone else flying with Dave! Or at least, another version of Dave??  
GG: It was somewhere else in the neighborhood.  
GG: I think John and the others weren't the only ones to change!!!

TT: Fuck really?  
TT: How many others  
TT: Jane, find out who it was changed.

GG: I will try my best!

* * *

TA: what the fuck is this

AG: FUCKING LOOK AT IT AND TELL ME!!!!

TA: looks like a fake piece of shit if you tell me

AA: um what exactly did i wake up to o_o

CC: Vriska it's too late at night to pull of these shenanigans

GA: Indeed I have quite a few things to do in the morning.

AG: YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?!?!  
AG: IT'S FUCKING NOT.

AT: please she's telling the truth, that thing in the picture is karkat!!  
AT: he flew away with some black winged guy earlier  
AT: he hurt kankri and kelvin!!

GC: You too Tavros?  
GC: This isn't funny guys :/ 

AG: We. Are. Not FUCKING JOKING!!!

carcinoGrievance [CG] joined the memo

CG: unfortunately they aren't joking at all

GA: Kankri??

carcinoGrievance [CG] send a picture!

CG: Karkat has morphed into a terrifying monster and has injured dad.

CC: oh my god

TA: That's a big fucking wound there  
TA: You're really being serious here??

AG: I have never been more serious in my life!!!

AT: for once i'm with vriska  
AT: this isn't a joke at all

GC: ...

CG: i'm currently helping dad dress his wound.   
CG: we have no idea what to do afterwards.  
CG: I can only hope Karkat is okay.  
CG: Despite turning into a monster, he's still my little brother and I could see the guilt on his face even though it's different now.  
CG: He didn't mean to hurt us.  
CG: But I'm still wondering what the fuck happened to my little brother.  
CG: Why did he change.

* * *

John followed after Dave, feeling slightly guilty as he heard the shouts of his family becoming more and more faint the more they flew away- it also alleviated his guilt getting away like this. Not to mention the complicated feelings he was feeling- or would be feeling and focusing on if it weren't for the fact his entire body felt like one big throbbing wound. The urge to stop, to fall from the sky and cry again in pain was there but John managed to get by, he  _had_ to follow Dave, plus, the feeling of the wind on him was soothing despite the open wounds, using his power helped it seemed.

Speaking of wounds though, he couldn't help but glance at his arms... The one that was floating beside him, the one that had been cut and torn off somehow. He saw the broken bone peeking out from torn muscles and bloody veins, there was still blood from the limb and it dropped as they flew along with the droplets of weird slime he seemed to be producing, to see his own arm dismembered yet still moving under his command- he should be terrified, he should be reacting with fear and horror.

But he's not.

Maybe at the start. When he was writhing in pain and agony - ** _PAINPAINFEARWHATSHAPPENINGFEARPAIN_** -, when he felt it being torn off by a mysterious force, when he felt the side of his face split open with the new scar, when he felt his other arm nearly detach- _maybe_ then, but now? He felt... terrifyingly numb.

Don't get him wrong, he's still feeling pain electrifying his body in spurts but the terror that should be accompanying it was all numb at the moment. Maybe it was shock. But it didn't really matter right now since he was following Dave.

Dave...

He glanced at his boyfriend, his silent and changed boyfriend. 

It looked like he was in the same boat as he was. 

He...

Actually he reminded him of Davesprite, only less colorful, more black and terrifying. His hair had turned from blond to black, there were black, bloody feathers growing from his neck and his back on his wings, his left arm had turn into a bird-like arm, and his right leg had turned into a giant bird foot, both bird appendages with sharp talons that were less terrifying than the katana wedged in his chest. Didn't Davesprite used to have a katana in his chest? 

...

Didn't his sprite prototype from the harlequin doll that had a scar over one eye and one floating arm?

...

Shit.

The thought in his head wasn't good at all- was... was this their  _prize_ for winning the game? They had-

" ** _stop thinking john._** " 

John startles when Dave speaks, " ** _whA-_** " Dave interrupts him, voice monotone but the sound of grinding gears still came.

" ** _you can think later john. we need to get to the base first._** "

" ** _BasE?_** "

Dave doesn't really answer and motions to the side, John turns to see where he's motioning and-

There was another Dave, flying in the sky with someone following after him. John squints, who was it? They... oh, they looked like them- like they had underwent a painful transformation, only they turned more into a cra-

" ** _KArKaT?!_** " 

The crustacean-human hybrid snaps to look at him as both Daves came closer, " ** _EGBERT?!_** " Karkat snaps back, mandibles chittering in front of his sharp mouth- wow, he looked different as a human-crab hybrid. His arms had turned into clacking crab claws, thin but sharp legs sprouted from the side of his body and his legs had turned into thick and armored but blood covered crab legs, John could also see some spikes coming from Karkat's back. 

He was wearing his God Tier clothing, and it accommodated to Karkat's new appendages, which was a relief he supposed but still-

" ** _JOHN WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO US?!_** " Karkat screams, his voice distorted and rough, he's chittering too, it was like when he chittered when he was a troll but a lot more rough and unnatural-like. 

" ** _i-_** "

" ** _talk later, we need to move to the base. now._** " Both Daves chorused seriously, interrupting their attempt at conversation. Karkat growled but stayed silent, the urgent and serious tone in Dave's voice,  _both_ of their voices made him settle. For now. 

John opened his mouth but then closed it, a troubled feeling in the pit of his stomach as he followed the clearly future version of his boyfriend. 

He just hoped everything would be okay in the end.

* * *

"What the fuck are we suppose to do now?!" 

"I-I don't know, I-"

"There  _must_ be a logical explanation for this, a hallucination maybe?"

"A  _hallucination?_ Aranea,  _Kelvin. Is. Hurt._ Karkat almost tore his arm off!! He turned into a monster!"

"I'm calling Ondine right now, she might know what to do-"

"Kelvin  _stay still_ -"

Kankri almost couldn't think straight as he helped Moira patch up his father, Kelvin hissing at the antiseptic alcohol they were using on the wound on his arm- Karkat had grabbed him there with his monstrous crab hands, luckily it was a superficial wound, it only looked worse than it actually was but Karkat could've easily snapped Kelvin's arm off.

In the background Vriska, Tavros, Rufioh and Aranea were chattering and arguing to each other while Jasper was busy trying to call Ondine or anyone else that could help. 

"I'm telling the others."

"What?! You."

" _I'm telling the others and you are too, our friend just TURNED INTO A MONSTER AND LEFT WITH SOME OTHER BIRD BOY MONSTER!!_ " 

Maybe it wasn't the smartest move, but it was a move that the teens could do, Kankri even helped them, entering the memo to clarify and confirm things before ignoring it and focusing back on his father. He looked pale, must be from the bloodloss but at least he was better now that his arm was patched up. 

"Dad, what do we do." Kankri asks softly, at a loss on what to do. He meant every word he had sent into the memo, but he still didn't know what to do. His brother had turned into a monster, he had hurt their father but it surely an accident- he looked like he was in so much pain from the initial transformation, there was so much  _blood_ -

They would have to use a  _lot_ of bleach in the bathroom. And fix their broken window, Karkat had shattered the glass when he had jumped out after lashing out at their dad, he ended up in the front yard where both the Serket and Nitram families came over to check out why there was screaming coming from the Vantas household. What a shock was it to see the bloody and transformed Karkat jump out of the window- it shocked them even more when Karkat shrieked at them threateningly and in warning- Kankri had helped their injured dad out the house just in time to see Karkat leap into the air, his clothes changing to mysterious garments and follow a strange boy with black wings and a  _sword through his chest._

Kelvin looked at Kankri with an equally helpless look, "I don't know Kankri, I really don't know." He whispered, tiredly leaning against the table, being careful with his injured arm. Moira looks grim but that only covers up how helpless she's actually feeling, and she  _hates_ it, feeling this helplessness. "We... We have to do  _something_ though, find Karkat, he needs help-" Moira interrupts him, looking at Kelvin incredulously, the background noise dies down as they converse.

" _Find_ him? Kelvin, Karkat  _hurt_ you, he's a  _monster-_ "

" _He's. My. **Son**_." Kelvin told her firmly, eyes blazing red despite his pale and weak complexion. "He's _physically_ turned into a monster- I know that, he's hurt me, I know that but he didn't mean it. He was in pain, he was confused and had no idea what to do. You didn't see the fear and confusion in his eyes Moira, and despite his transformation he's  _still my son_. My poor boy who's  _god knows where_ -" He says, emotions overtaking his voice as he stops, tears prickling his eyes. 

Moira grimaces and looks apologetic. "I'm sorry." She says quietly, giving him a rare genuine and sincere apology. The blond woman sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she continued, "Look, as much as you want to do something Kelvin,  _you_ are going to have to rest for a while. The arm isn't serious but you lost blood, not to mention this is no doubt going to be stressful for you." She pointed out to him, Kelvin scowled,

Before Kelvin could say anything though, something interrupted him from doing so. Startling all eight humans in the living room.

**_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_ **

Firm knocks came from the front door, they looked towards the front door with slight disbelief and slight dread.

Vriska cursed, "Fuck, what if that's one of the other neighbors that saw Karkat?! How the fuck are we going to explain that?!" They tensed at her words- they couldn't. They couldn't explain what happened to outsider. 

With how Karkat was now, no doubt someone would want to lock him away- just the thought made both Kankri and Kelvin sick.

Abruptly Kankri stood up, "I'll answer it." He said plainly, already heading towards the front door with fast legs.

Kelvin's eyes widened and he tried to reach out and stop him, "Kankri wa-Ah!" He hissed, his attempt to stop his eldest son from answering the door made him jostle his injured arm. Moira firmly pulled him back to sit down, looking at him with scolding eyes.

Jasper looked nervous, having just got off the phone off of someone- presumably Ondine, he closely followed after Kankri but not stopping him from answering the door, he'd take over if it was necessary but Kankri answered the door swiftly, opening the door slightly, emotionlessly looking out and answering whoever it was that was knocking on their door. 

"Yes?"

His emotionless eyes widened with slight shock when he found himself faced with two men and a teenage girl who seemed to be at least a few years younger than his now missing little brother. The two men, they seemed to be twins, they looked very similar to each other and the girl was related to them since she had such bright blue eyes behind rimmed red glasses, the twin men had blue eyes but unless he asked, he wouldn't know who's daughter she was.

What was more strange was that they were all disheveled, nervous and tired-looking. When Kankri glanced down, he saw a suspicious stain on their shoes, red mixed with green and blue. 

"H-Hello." The girl said, nervously fiddling with her blue skirt, "I- I'm sorry for bothering you this late of night but..." 

Kankri's eyes widened as the girl began to spill important information. By the end of it, Jane Crocker, the girl who's name he had just learned, looked at him nervously with slightly pleading eyes. 

He glanced back to Jasper, looking equally shocked at he was, he had been listening in from nearby after all. He then glanced back to the trio, "... Get in." He says, opening the door fully and motioning them inside. 

Whatever this situation his brother was in, it seemed that he wasn't alone.

* * *

John, Karkat and Dave flew for a while longer, John and Karkat almost unable to deal with the silence until they finally saw where they were going.

It was a large abandoned building, to John it looked vaguely familiar.

" _ **come on.**_ " Dave said, motioning them to follow him, both Daves disappearing in a cog of red but leaving a clear path for them to follow- after a moment of hesitance, both the Heir of Breath and Knight of Blood shared a look before disappearing in a burst of blue wind and a glob of blood respectively. 

The four figures appeared in a large room afterwards, though one Dave immediately disappears again. " _ **this is our base.**_ " He told John and Karkat, motioning to the large room. " _ **this is our new home.**_ " It wasn't bad, it was cleaned slightly but there were bloody stains from an unknown source, most probably Dave, and there were a pile of things to the side, pillows, blankets, some essential things. " ** _this- new home._** "

" _ **New HOme.**_ " John repeated with a whisper, it didn't seem like a bad idea. Their homes were... They couldn't stay at their homes, what with their new situation and bodies. That said... " _ **WhaT Happened to Us?**_ " John finally asks, breaking the small silent spell over the three of them, Karkat immediately curses, stomping around in the dark room screaming into the darkness- they can see just fine though, night vision was an added bonus for all three of them it seems.

Dave shrugs then looked off to the side, John follows his sight and- a red cog appears, two actually. Another Dave appears, one flopping to the ground and groaning, " _ **present. present dave.**_ " He tells John, immediately John flies to him, concerned over his present-timeline boyfriend's situation, the two other Daves nod at each other and one of them disappears.

" _ **DaVE! dAve! Are YoU okAY?**_ " John clamors, hugging Dave with his one attached arm, the other detached one floated above Dave's head and petted his bloody black hair. " _ **youR Hair's BLACK! Wasn'T it YeLloW? No, blond, bLOnd, it Was BLonD!**_ " Like a broken dam, John's focus seemed to break and he was hysterically giggling now, but he still seemed worried over Dave and the fact he was giggling for no reasson. " _ **whAt HAPpenEd?**_ "

" _ **john, john. john-john hey.**_ " Present Dave muttered tiredly, hugging his harlequin-hybrid boyfriend, feeling relieved but also concerned over the fact his boyfriend was now a harlequin hybrid. " _ **i don't know.**_ " He says and repeats it again, quieter. " ** _i don't know._** " John just nods and pets his head with his floating arm.

" ** _WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK-_** " Karkat was continuously cursing, still stomping around, near hyperventilating and- there were bloody bubbles coming from his mouth, he was frothing bloody bubbles and popping them with his chittering mandibles. 

" ** _karkat. karkat shut up. shut up._** "

" ** _FUCK YOU DAVE STRIDER._** " Karkat hissed at him irritably, hackles raised, sharp legs wiggling furiously from his sides and mandibles and pincers clicking angrily. He aims his anger at the future Dave that was standing silently in the middle of the room. 

Though before anything could happen, another Dave appeared, this time with someone else. 

A familiar teen girl, wreathed with unnatural and ethereal black flames, bloody purple and pink tentacles came from random places, emerging and merging with dark pale skin that also had multiple demonic-like eyes sprouting. Her original eyes were completely white. " _ **roxy.**_ " The Dave by her side said, before disappearing once more, the Dave in the middle of the room nodded, feathers ruffled slightly. 

John's eyes widened and he floats up- not letting go of Dave who doesn't mind and floats up with him, equipping his modified Knight of Time garments, " ** _RoXY!_** " He says, enthusiastic, concerned and surprised. " ** _Roxy, yoU'Re GrIMdArk! AnD hoRrOr-y, grIMdaRK HorrERterRor-y!_** " He exclaimed, floating closer to the inhuman girl who lets out a warbling noise. " ** _WhY?_** " 

Roxy whines, a horrible sound, it sounded like a dying animal, it doesn't disturb them though strangely enough. " _ **O fpmy lmppeeee!!**_ " [ _I don't knoowwww!!_ ] She says, both understandable and understandable. 

" ** _you'Re SpeakING in bRoodFESter TonguEs! BuT I can unDersTand YOU! CooL!_** " John laughs, he shouldn't be laughing but he does so anyway. His detached hand stops petting Dave much to his disappointment, he lets out a disappointed chirp, the hand poked his head before going over to poke at Roxy and her tentacles. 

Roxy looks surprised, a tentacle from her head wraps around the arm, " _ **Kpjm upit stz!**_ " [ _John your arm!_ ] She points out, waving the arm a bit making John giggle then frown. 

" ** _Let go OF my ARm! That HuRTs!_** " He says angrily, Roxy startles and after a bit, manages to let go of John's arm, she's not in total control of her extra limbs. Instantly, John is smiling again, " ** _it Doesn't ActuallY Hurt. I'm SoRRY._** " Jesus fuck he's so confused right now, and somehow that seems hilarious and suddenly he's laughing loudly again. 

" ** _john. calm. calm down john._** " Dave says quietly, letting his crow-hand pat the side of John's bloody face. " ** _you're being weird dude._** " He says, sounding somewhat normal. " ** _weird dude._** " He repeats, sounding less normal.

John takes in a deep breath and stops laughing. " ** _i'M sOrry._** " He mumbles piteously.

Roxy smiles at him, reaching out her normal but darkly grey hand to pat his green-stained face as well, " _ **Oy'd plsu Kpjmmu, appld aolr er saa vjsmhrf om zptr esud yjsm pmr.**_ " [ _It's okay Johnny, looks like we all changed in more ways than one._ ] She consoles, crooning unnaturally from the back of her throat.

They should all be freaking out more, but they're not.

Even Karkat has settled, somewhat, sitting down on the floor looking disgruntled was settled right?

" _ **Str er yjr pmau pmrd yp vjsmhr? ejsy yjr givl rbrm jsqqrmrf?**_ " [ _Are we the only ones to change? What the fuck even happened?_ ] Roxy asks curiously, going over to sit down by Karkat, Karkat chitters at her but makes no move to move away. John and Dave follow after her but stay in the air, John has his arm float around the four of them, poking at them randomly, Karkat swats at the floating arm making him giggle.

" _ **one more.**_ " Future Dave in the middle of the room says, grimacing- not that they could see his face underneath his plague mask. " _ **one more. sit down. don't move. don't move. it's okay.**_ " He says, trying to sound soothing, though it was strange to hear it in a cawing, crow-like voice with the undertone of grinding gears and ticking clocks.

" ** _Okay?_** " Karkat repeats with a frown, his mandibles clicking loudly at the 'kuh' sound. " ** _Who the fuck is coming and what the fuck have_ they _turned into to have you say fucking 'don't move, it's okay'._** " Karkat sneers, mocking his monotonous voice, aside from Roxy and her broodfester language, it seems that only he and Roxy had the ability to speak clearly and almost normally without much problem.

" ** _RuDE karKAT, don't MakE fun Of MY dAVE._** " John scolded him, poking his cheek. Karkat hissed at him irritably. 

Dave, both Daves in fact, let out an amused caw, Present Dave snuggled up to John while Future Dave just looked at John with a presumably admiring and loving look. " ** _my john._** "

John beams at them both, glancing between them. 

Then another and final Dave appeared, the one who appeared with him, made all four teens tense and alert.

He had green skin, and a green skeletal look- his one eye was flashing between pools behind broken glasses, and he had a familiar sharp golden tooth that was clear from the snarling look on his face, his one arm was slightly bigger and a bit buffer from the other and had a wicked skeletal claw on it- matching the skeletal foot he had on one foot and a golden shoe on the other. The snarling look disappears and he looks like he's frowning painfully. 

John is immediately taking out a hammer from somewhere- through the pain and everything happening, he didn't realize they now had their sylladexes and strife decks with them but he pulled out a hammer out of instinct, readying for a strife. " ** _LOrd ENGliSH?!_** " He says, enraged, scared, amused- so many emotions flickered in him that he faltered and almost dropped himself and Dave. The crow-hybrid saved them from falling, tensely holding John on the ground and looking at 'Lord English' cautiously. 

Roxy and Karkat on other hand recognize him a bit differently somehow. 

" ** _HeLP guys._** " 'Lord English' calls out with a pained noise.

" ** _Kslr?!_** " [ _Jake?!_ ] 

John and Dave look at him incredulously, " ** _JakE?_** / ** _jake?_** " They chorused, suddenly all five teens collapsed once more, indescribable pain overtaking their bodies. 

Future Dave squawked in concern but could only move the five screaming teens to more comfortable positions as they were taken underneath the pain once more. He had prepared pillows and blankets for this, having time traveled from the near future to help them the best he could. 

This was only the beginning of course, there were  _much more_ things in store for them in the future and Future Dave only knew some of it since he was from a week from now.

Shortly after they'd wake up in the morning, they'd need to move fast. 

Everything was changing.

* * *

The CrockerBerts had officially come into contact with the three families of Vantas, Serket and Nitram. They would talk till morning, informing their respective close family friends on the situation, trying to share on what happened. With their family now missing, it was up to them to solve the problem and mystery on what happened. 

At the same time though...

That morning, just as the CrockerBerts were about to return to their homes, to meet up with the others.

The sky suddenly darkened unnaturally, and a horrific rift appeared in the middle of the air of the suburban neighborhood.

From there, everything went down a complicated path.

* * *

"Our sons are out there, they've changed and they're no doubt scared- we have to do something about it."

" ** _I HATE THIS, I HATE THIS SO MuCH! I'M TRYING SO HARD AND IT SuCKS AND... i feel like i almost can't control myself, bUt i'll bloody well try to control this poppycock._** "

"Why can't we just ask the government for help?"

" ** _tick. tock. attack time._** "

" _WHAT IN THE HEAVEN'S IS THAT?!_ "

" ** _... HI dAd... byE DaD..._** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 2 END!
> 
> That was fun hehehe.
> 
> Next up! Rifts are opening, complicated matters are being addressed and the world sees the Heinous Aspects for the first time! Somewhat.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! See you next time!


	3. Dark Rips (1)

* * *

Waiting for both your past self and the past versions of your friends to come back to their senses after being mentally and physically tormented was not a good thing to do normally. However Future Dave could do nothing else but wait patiently for the agony for them to end, dutifully keeping them stable and safe and as comfortable as they could be. 

Future Dave was from a week from the future, when things were _somewhat_ less hectic as they were _going_ to be. 

They were in for the long haul and for a long ass journey it seemed, to where? Who the fuck knows but all Future Dave knew was the fact things were  _not_ in their favor, be it with how his past self, John, Karkat, Roxy and Jake were currently going underneath physical and mental torture coming from  _gog knows where_ to the future bullshit that they were going to deal with shortly afterwards.

At any rate though, Future Dave had went back in time to prepare themselves, give them a little leg up as well as to keep the self-sustained time loop happening. All that time with Terezi hounding him back then still stuck despite the fact he hasn't done a time loop for a few years now, but still, being the Knight of Time, it was hard to forget time travel. 

Oh yeah, another bizarre thing for their odd situation that was kind of a relief really; they kept their god tier status. Though their godhood pajamas were now different, adjusting to their bodies and all that. At least they wouldn't have to make physical adjustment to their clothing themselves at the moment, it'd be a pain in the ass to cut holes into his shirts because of his dumbass black wings. Which were kind of cool but also a hassle to deal with half the time. 

Their physical transformations were not that pretty to look at, they could've scored a medal in some Halloween costume party though, grabbed first place easily- in real life though, it did them no favors at all. Not that they would end up caring about. They had each other now, no one else would understand them and that was honestly fine. 

Maybe.

Future Dave tenderly petted John's hair, a ragged croon coming from his throat as he soothed his past boyfriend to the best of his abilities. John whined and gave a pitiful whimper, curling up more underneath the dark blue blanket that Future Dave draped over him. His severed arm was severely twitching nearby, detached and mostly unmoving. Future Dave reached for it and nudged it underneath the blanket with the rest of John. 

They would all go undergo a severe transformation, that was obvious but it was more than a physical change. Their minds would be morphed as well whether they'd like it or not. 

At least their psyches would be stable,  _ish_ , they wouldn't be the same in the end but they would deal with it.

Future Dave mentally checked the time, it was almost time where they would wake up and head out. 

While he patiently waited, Future Dave began to move about their base, cleaning up a bit and writing down some things for his past self, all the while returning to John's side from time to time. They'd be busy in the future, things were going to go down and go down  _hard_. 

Hell, Dave had no idea when things would settle, having to to go the past first to complete the time loop he willingly dragged himself into it so they could all continue to persist in the future. Whatever it was that was in store in the future.

* * *

Bro took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, he felt exhausted, tired, but he and Dirk were patched up and Dirk was tiredly draped by his side, having fallen asleep an hour ago. Bro didn't blame him, the kid was still hitting puberty after all, almost fourteen, he couldn't really stay up without the help of coffee which they didn't really have at the moment and even then, Dirk was feeling stressed from the whole situation.

It was only because Bro was used to staying up late at night that he hasn't conked out yet, feeling just as stressed as Dirk at the moment. 

It was almost morning now, the sun was just rising over the horizon as he and his little brother sat on the couch, though Dirk was again, asleep on the couch leaning against Bro. Hours earlier, Dave had just turned into some bird-like creature. And for the  _nth_ time, Bro was rewatching the transformation on the security feed that Bro had from the cameras within the apartment, from the exact time Dave left his room only to collapse and  _scream_ - ~~ _hisscreamsechoedinhishead_~~ \- to the point where Dave freaked out and  _another_ Dave appeared to prevent him from fatally injuring him and Dirk, throwing the freaking out Dave out the window and to  _fuck_ knows where.

His fists clenched as he remembered the words that came from the Dave that had just appeared and had probably saved their asses.

" ** _...stay away from us..._** "

Bro huffed out a strangled laugh, "You really think we'd do that little bro?" He questioned quietly, it was aimed to Dave but he wasn't around and that stung a bit. It felt a little emptier in the apartment now without Dave. He took in another deep breath and let out a soft groan, he felt tired but he couldn't sleep yet, he still had no idea what the fuck was going on with his little brother.

And it wasn't just him, apparently the others were facing the same problem. Jacob and Jade had seen Jake turn into a green-skulled somewhat skeleton monster with glowing eyes? Roxanne and Rose hadn't seen what Roxy had turned into but her room was a mess with black ink-like puddles with bloody feathers littered around so Dave probably stopped by to pick her up just like he did with John who Jack, Joe and Jane saw turn into a grim and gore harlequin boy- John's  _arm_ had popped off but was also floating around now  _how the fuck did that work?_

And now he was finding out that another kid had turned, some teen around Dave and John's age, Karkat Vantas. Jack and Dirk told them about him, though Dirk was no asleep and couldn't get anything from Jane who was with her dad and uncle at the Vantas at the moment.

Bro couldn't connect him into the strange equation- he could get Roxy, John, Dave and Jake turning into monsters, sure, they knew each other quite well and whatever the fuck happened had happened to them at the same time but  _Karkat_? They had no idea who the teen was did they? No. Bro couldn't recall Dave saying anything about a new friend online or otherwise, and the name Karkat Vantas didn't ring a bell either so what the hell was with that?

The eldest Strider could only speculate on what happened and what was  _going_ to happen since really, they had no fucking idea what the fuck was going on. They were heading into this blind, just as Dave and the other kids were heading into this blind- though it seemed like Dave somehow had a grasping on something,  _somehow_ , he had made duplicates of himself and supposedly had them gather to somewhere- what  _was_ that anyway? How did his little brother do that? And why? 

Well, he could understand Dave running away after transforming into a plague-mask wearing angel that fell from heaven to the shallows of hell, not to mention the fact he was freaking out a lot after that, bruising and scratching Bro and Dirk but they'd be fine in the end. The sword was very concerning and was the main reason Bro thought Dave had the potential to fatally injure them, which, by the way-  _where the **fuck** did that sword come from and how the hell could Dave deal with it in his  **chest**_?! Just the sight of the sword stabbed through the chest of his little brother,  ** _right in the area of the heart dammit_** , made him queasy and upset, a phantom feeling hovering his own chest but that was probably because of the natural instinct of humans to imagine the pain of others inflicted to themselves.

Or so he thought to himself. The fact and strange thought of a sword through the chest was  _somewhat_ familiar was thrown out the window since Bro was so worried about his little brother over himself. The cuts and bruises he and Dirk had would heal, it was Dave that Bro couldn't bear the thought of losing.

This was his little brother, bizarre and horrifying transformation or not. That little shit was his little brother, bird wings, plague mask and sword and all. 

But the multiple top things that were getting to him the most...

Why Dave?

Why the kids?

Why Karkat?

Why  _anything_?

Something must have happened to the five of them, something bad to become like this but Bro couldn't think anything right now that could have caused these transformations. Nothing was coming to mind and it was making him  _frustrated_ ,  _ **beyond** frustrated_. 

' _C'mon think Dereck, your brother's turned bird-boy, his best friend's a harlequin twink, Jake's a fuckin' green skeleton, who know's what little Roxy turned into and that Karkat kid turned crabby._ ' Bro thought to himself, leg bouncing anxiously as he set aside his laptop and kept a mostly relaxed hand on Dirk- it was a comforting act for both himself and Dirk, Bro had no idea what was going on but one of his brothers had already turned against their will, he was going to  _lose it_ if his final little brother turned as well. ' _What could have possibly happened to the five of them at a time where this could happen, or what was it that_ lead _this to happening?_ ' 

Bro couldn't think straight, which wasn't that usual but exhaustion, worry and stress was weighing him down and he hasn't drunk any coffee yet. As tempting as it was to get up to make some, it would mean leaving the couch, leaving Dirk's side and Bro wasn't ready to let go of Dirk yet. 

Paranoid? Yeah, and for a good reason. 

The eldest Strider took in another deep breath, shaking his head and reminding himself to keep awake.

...

His phone's ringing woke him up, jolting him awake from his sleep- shit- did he- telling from the sunlight peering through the drapes and blinds, he had fallen asleep great-

 _**~Oooh, drink them down, drink 'em down, oooh, drink them down** _  
_**Oh, oh, drink 'em down down down down down down down, oh, oh, oooh~** _

He recognized the ringtone, it was Roxanne's ringtone. Dirk groaned at the loud noise, waking up just as Bro answered the phone and slurred, still half-asleep despite realizing he had fallen asleep, his mind was still booting up.

" _Dereck!_ "

"Rox? Wha' the fuck-" Bro attempted to say, before the Lalonde Mother interrupted him.

" _Dereck, turn on the tv. Go to the news. Now. Now!_ " 

The urgent tone had Bro doing it immediately, the remote thankfully had been on the table before him and he hadn't managed to knock it off in his sleep when he subconsciously put his legs on the table. Dirk also sat up abruptly as Bro found himself fully awake as he went to the news channel as Roxanne demanded. The tone of her voice, the urgency of within the sound- and then Bro could see why.

" ** _\--ning, the weather has changed from clear skies and sunny day to a dark cloudy day as monsters, actual monsters attack the suburb neighborhood-_** "

On the television was a woman reporter, looking terrified but also determined to report what was going on. She and the cameraman were hidden behind a house, the camera peeking out to reveal the dark cloudy day- Bro and Dirk glanced over to their window, this was the local news and the only suburban neighborhood near them was the Crockerbert's neighborhood. If it was suppose to be sunny here, it  _should_ be sunny there as well but the news showed the dark cloudy sky. Not only that, but they could see some grotesque looking creatures walking around, unnatural appendages and making noises that the camera picked up, they weren't human. Not at all.  _Some of them were even flying for god's sakes._

Wait.

_Crockerbert's neighborhood-_

"Jane!" Dirk suddenly blurted out before scrambling for his phone, cursing at the fact it was low battery, Bro went for his own phone which thankfully still had some juice in it. 

"Roxanne what the fuck-"

" _I don't know, they just appeared a while ago but Jack is not answering his phone and neither is Joe, Rose can't get to Jane-_ " 

Bro put Roxanne on speaker phone, he turned to look at Dirk who bit his lip, he had gotten to Bro's laptop. Bro let him. Dirk had swiftly logged into Pesterchum. 

"I can't get to Jane either." Dirk said after a moment, Bro cursed and Roxanne's line went silent but the call persisted. They could only watch and listen to the news tensely. 

" ** _All citizens are to remain inside within the suburban area, a-and- wait, no, Harold look out!_** " 

Both Bro and Dirk tensed as the reporter woman screamed, looking off camera, there was the inhuman shriek of one of the monsters as well as a man's yell. Both Striders were fully prepared for someone to die on live television, for the cameraman and reporter woman to die by  _actual monsters_ but...

**_Caw_ **

" ** _W-What?!_** " 

The camera jostled as it whirled along with the camera man, two pairs of similarly colored orange eyes widened as they saw a winged figure being caught on camera. 

"... _Dave?_ "

* * *

Kelvin had no idea on what to make of the family of three that Kankri let in, twin brothers named Jack and Joe who were fathers just like him and Jane was Joe's daughter and John... John was Jack's and had also underwent the painful transformation that had happened with his youngest son Karkat.

Introductions were slightly tense, the four families within the Vantas living room were irritable and confused as to what was happening as a hole. No one knew why it had happened.

When the fact that the friend of theirs, a young boy named Dave Strider, had been the boy with the sword, plague mask and wings. He had underwent that strange and painful transformation that had changed both Karkat and John. Jane had showed them the video feed that Dave's little brother had sent her earlier on, horrifying everyone at how painful it seemed and the fact that Dave had even went as far as to attack both of his brothers, if it weren't for the other Dave that had appeared out of nowhere and sending him out the window, they'd probably be really really hurt. Even though Kelvin had been hurt himself, at least Karkat had enough sane of mind to stop and escape through the window before he could hurt him and Kankri.

They weren't exactly sure on how there were more than one Dave, they weren't exactly sure on anything really. The fact the three boys, along with one other boy and one girl, had transformed and disappeared into the night... it was really concerning. 

The younger teens had ended up falling asleep first, they had awoken to the middle of the night and they were not really used to that or continuing to stay up till dawn. The older teens like Aranea, Rufioh and Kankri had managed to stay up further before ultimately falling asleep as well, the adults meanwhile had managed to stay up till dawn with the help of some good old coffee.

"I thank you for hosting us like this Mr. Vantas, it's been, a stressful night for all of us." Jack thanked him, smiling tiredly as he nursed the newest mug of coffee that he was on, his brother nodded in agreement as he glanced over to the living room where Jane had fallen asleep with young Tavros and Vriska. "You're even injured- we should've at least waited till morning, you need to rest after all." 

Kelvin waved him off, returning the tired smile, "No, the sooner we met the better. I, I don't think I could've rest properly if I hadn't known about this. And it's no problem Mr. Egbert, and please, call me Kelvin." He said, sighing as he carefully moved his bandaged arm. It no longer hurt as much as it originally did. "Our sons are out there, they've changed and they're no doubt scared- we have to do something about it." He said with a new sense of determination.

Joe and Jack shared a smile, nodding to his words. "Indeed. And we are going to do something about it." 

"Not to burst your bubbles boys, but, what exactly are you going to do?" Moira piped in, looking grim as she glanced between the three fathers, Jasper looking just as grim by her side. "Your sons have turned into monsters and ran off to who knows where, what is there to do about it?" 

Don't get her wrong, she cared for Karkat, he was her daugher's close friend and her friend's dear son but said friend had gotten hurt trying to calm his own now monstrous son from his initial transformation. She wondered on what happened but thought it didn't really matter right now, she'd look more into it later but at the moment, Kelvin looked like he was going to end up doing something reckless and bringing two other men along. 

Despite Kelvin's mature personality, he had been quite reckless when they were all younger, thankfully he  _kind of_ grew out of that recklessness but in moments like this, the old Kelvin would shine through and Moira would have to worry for him and all her friends. 

Joe, they had started to be able to differentiate from Jack Egbert and Joe Crocker, scowled, "A fair question but we can't just do nothing while the kids are out there- that's my nephew, Jack's  _son_ \- not only that, it's Jacob's grandson, Dereck's brother, Roxanne's daughter,  _his son as well_." He pointed out roughly, motioning to Kelvin who looked like he fully agreed with his words. "If they're out there, we can't just stay around while they are!" 

Moira sighed, messaging the bridge of her nose, "I know, but that still leaves the question on  _what_ to do." She retorts, she doesn't want to argue but she needed to be the voice of reason, a solid anchor that would keep them all grounded. 

"Why can't we ask the government for help?" 

The five adults within the room turned to see Tavros awake, sleepy but awake. Jasper blinked then smiled at his son in greeting, it turned into a grim smile as he answered him. "As much as that would seem like a good idea, we're not entirely positive on how the government would think about Karkat and the others, Tav." He said, thinking on their own reaction to Karkat just hours ago when he had just turned, the horror and disgust, the terror and fear. They had gotten over it because they had  _known_ Karkat, they sympathized with him but other people? Complete strangers and those of the government? Who knows what would occur if Karkat ever fell into their hands.

It was safe to say that Jasper was very aware and wary about the government, if only because his girlfriend was involved in things that weren't exactly legal. 

"Understatement, knowing them they wouldn't hesitate to put Karkat under straps and find out what the fuck he is. Or how he got that way." Moira scoffed, "Which would seem like a good thing but we can't really trust them to be humane and not to keep their grubby mitts on themselves when they see Karkat or any of the poor kiddies that got turned into a nightmare. Experiments ahoy." She said, causing the atmosphere within the kitchen to become darker as the fathers looked pissed.

In truth, Jack had thought about contacting the authorities, the government, or just  _anyone_ that would seem like they'd be able to handle whatever this was but he had been busy contacting his own friends first since he heard that they had been affected as well. But now, hearing the possibility of his own son being turned into an  _experiment_. It cleared any thoughts of contacting the government whatsoever. 

He wanted his son safe first and foremost. 

Kelvin was in the same boat.

Tavros regretted asking, looking down with a downcast look. 

"It's alright Tav, no need to look so ashamed. You just wanted to help Karkat, but right now, we have to be careful." Jasper comforted him, standing up to give his youngest son a hug and a pat on the back. Tavros nodded, sighing as he took comfort from his father.

Soon afterwards, the other teens were waking up, feeling kinks in their bodies as they regretted the fact they had fallen asleep within the living room.

Jack and Joe decided to cook breakfast, mostly as thanks that they were able to stay the night- even though both fathers hadn't gotten a lick of sleep. Their daughter slash niece at least had gotten sleep and they had managed to establish a friendly connection to the Vantas, the common point being their sons having turned and ran away within the middle of the night. 

It was certainly crowded within the Vantas kitchen, which wasn't that uncommon but usually it mostly involved their other friends being in the kitchen making food but now they had the Crocker-Egbert families inside consisting of two men and a young girl. Had things gone differently, maybe two more boys would have joined their breakfast that morning. The sun shining brightly and the mood of the kitchen having improved compared to last night's mood.

At least, temporarily.

Suddenly the ground shook and the sky darkened outside the house.

An unnatural roar sounded within the air.

Something was _wrong_  happening.

* * *

Ondine sighed as she and her daughters drove towards the suburbs, last night, Jasper had called her for whatever reasons and now Feferi and Meenah began to tell her that Karkat had turned into some monster that attacked Kelvin.

It sounded, interesting to say the least. But she was currently hungover at the moment, she was celebrating her success during work last night and Jasper had called her when she was drunk. Originally she had wanted to go out then and there but then she passed out drunk, neither Feferi nor Meenah could be able to wake her last night and had to wait until Ondine woke up in the morning to go to the Vantas household.

"You doing okay mom?" Feferi asked softly, seeing her mother nurse her head as she steadily drove, they had gotten a quick breakfast in and her mother had managed to get some painkillers for her hangover but the morning light must be killer for her at the moment. Even still though, she wanted to get over to the Vantas household to check on them all.

Truthfully she was still iffy on the whole, 'Karkat turning into a monster' but the wound on Kelvin's arm looked very real. So naturally they  _had_ to check on the Vantas's. 

"I'm doin' fine, just, wish the sun would fuck off and stop being so coddamn bright." Ondine complained, adjusting her shades and focusing a bit more on the road. Feferi just nodded and kept quiet while Meenah impatiently waited in the front seat.

It didn't take long for the Peixes car to reach the suburb, just in time for the ground to shake and the sky to darken. " _What the glubbin' fuck._ " Meenah cursed, hanging tight to her seat as the ground shook, Ondine stepped hard on the breaks, halting the car on the neighborhood road, looking incredulous at the sudden earthquake and the fact the sky darkened.

"Okay I asked for a dimmer sky an' all but not that dim!" She said as she took off her shades, the sun was now blocked by very dark clouds making her shades moot as she and her daughters. "What the fuck is happening?" She said as the ground stopped shaking, but despite that, a bad feeling festered in her chest as they got out of the car, looking around with a sense of wary.

It was Feferi who noticed what was wrong first. " _WHAT IN THE HEAVEN'S IS THAT?!_ " She screamed, pointing upwards to the sky.

Ondine and Meenah looked up and their stomachs dropped simultaneously as they saw what she was pointing at. It was hard to notice at first when the sky initially darkened but... 

There was a  _rip_ in the sky, a weird dark tear in the middle of the air, it sparked and pulsed with energy. It was dark purple in color and actually, it seemed like the source of the dark clouds that were hovering over the previously quaint little neighborhood that the Peixes were in. Said neighborhood had been where the Vantas, Nitram and Serket families were living in but right now that didn't matter.

The dark rip  _pulsed_...

_**And something came out of it.** _ ****

* * *

" ** _I HATE THIS, I HATE THIS SO MuCH! I'M TRYING SO HARD AND IT SuCKS AND... i feel like i almost can't control myself, bUt i'll bloody well try to control this poppycock._** "

" ** _tick. tock. attack time._** "

" ** _... HI dAd... byE DaD..._** "

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was surprisingly more family-centric and centered than I originally planned but I'm rolling with it.
> 
> More spotlight goes to the friends and families around our Heinous kids! But next chapter you'll definitely see them in action! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! See you next time!


	4. Dark Rips (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!  
> So yeah, I've been busy focusing on other stories, mainly How Preposterous and Stubborn Flocks but with the fact it's October and Halloween- well, just had to update this. It was a given.  
> I'm actually surprised I managed to update this in Halloween because it gave me such a headache before when I tried to write it but then again, it's been a while for it so...  
> Yeah.  
> Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Awaking from a long and  _very_ painful 'nap' was something Karkat didn't expect. 

But then again, Karkat didn't expect being turned into a hideous hybrid of a human and a crustacean monster. Being turned human would have been bad enough but being turned into a bastardized hybrid of his lusus' physical specie? 

That was just as painful as from the agonizing sensations that came with his new mind and his new body. 

He had memories of his human life. His troll life. And now a series of mismatched memories that made no sense at all, he had no fucking idea what they were and right now, he really didn't fucking care. 

At least though, he was  _somewhat_ sane. 

Or at least, he was ignoring his panic in favor of looking over his current situation, in both physical and other kinds of senses.

Karkat panted lightly as he sat up, the pain still ebbing his unnatural joints, his skin, his insides, his  _mind_ \- he skillfully ignored it in favor of looking at his environment. He was still in the weird ass base that Dave, Future Dave? Had taken them all in. So this was going to be their base now, a dreary, dusty, damned place that he had no idea where it was originally. It would take work no doubt, to make it into a proper base slash home since they had all essentially ran away from their homes. New homes or otherwise.

Probably for the best, Karkat had no idea how he would have fared if he stayed within the new Vantas household, monstrosity as he was or not. Being part of a human family sounded so  _wrong_ , and yet, so  _right_. 

That confusing mess was avoided now thankfully.

It still hurt though unfortunately as his human side rebelled within his mind. His human side can suck his now non-existent troll bulge, he technically didn't even exist until earlier on. He had no fucking right to rebel against Karkat. But then again, Karkat had every fucking right to rebel against Karkat, they shouldn't exist, he was in a new universe with new things and Karkat had to fucking deal with  _everything._

" ** _... you're awake ..._** " 

Dave's monotoned voice snapped him out of his mental argument with a section of himself that shouldn't exist in the first place, whether it was the monster section, troll or human- Karkat didn't care, mostly thankful for the distraction from his inner self-war. " _ **FUck! STRIDER, SPEAk UP SOMETIME WHY DON'T YOU YOU MOTHERFUckER.**_ " Karkat warbled loudly and angrily at him only to instantly hate his new voice. 

Fuck! Wasn't he just talking just fine before he collapsed?! Now the 'keh's' of his speech were clicking unnaturally thanks to his new mandibles, which, by the way, were fucking horrifying to feel on his face. Karkat took in a deep breath and tried to speak again, this time in a softer and calmer voice. " _ **What the fuCK is happening Strider?**_ " 

Well double fuck. That didn't work either, he was still clicking but a bit stronger now. What the fuck? 

He pushed aside his anger to focus on Dave, or rather, he focused his anger on something different other than his new habit of speech. He needed something solid. Something different. Something to focus on besides himself because at this point, he might fall back into another agonized mental tantrum but instead of it being spontaneous, it would be out of his own creation. 

" _ **awake.**_ " Dave repeated, morbid mask belaying nothing from the actual face that was surely underneath it, but his weird cog-shaped eye-shades were pulsing red. " ** _you're awake. good. you're second awake. second._** " He let out a small squawk and in any other situation, Karkat would tease or mock him for that, probably mock but Karkat focused on the fact he was the  _second_ to be awake. 

Who was the first?

Dave, Future Dave since the other Dave was still moaning and groaning in pain, writhing on the ground but laid besides John and covered with a thin blanket that was failing to stay on. Future Dave appropriately moved the blanket back on his past self, doing the same for Roxy, being careful for the lashing tentacles that came from the eldritch girl. John was mostly curled up now, but his arm was still flopping around like some uncatched aquatic animal that was stranded on land. Future Dave caught it and gently tucked it underneath John's blanket, it continued to writhe though. 

Before Karkat could ask Dave on who was the first to wake and ultimately reminding himself about his newly damned speech habit, Dave apparently read his mind and wordlessly pointed to the figure that was curled up in the corner. Shivering and muttering underneath his breath and clawing desperately at the wall.

Karkat blinked and remembered. 

Fuck.

Jake English was the first to wake out of the five of them and it looks like he wasn't handling his awakening as well as Karkat was.

Though, who's to say Karkat was handling it well at all? 

But at least Karkat was calm, Jake was trying hard to destroy the wall, or not, it was hard to tell since he was trembling so badly. 

The crustacean hybrid grimaced, or did his best to do so now that his face was mangled and had new additions of irritating and horrigying mandibles. He thought quietly to himself before making a decision and standing up, abandoning the offered blanket that had been draped on him via Future Dave and made his way to one Jake English.

" ** _do best karkles._** " Future Dave cawed quietly as he passed him, " ** _you and him, you're good bros. good good bros._** " Surprisingly, it's sincere and doesn't have anything insinuating him and Jake in any other way as a good pair of friends. Karkat almost wants to laugh but doesn't since he's more focused on the most pathetic person he has in his sights.

Which was Jake English.

And when he meant by pathetic, it was true statement and did not insinuate  _anything_ at  _all_. 

Not that Karkat cared anymore.

Ignoring and blocking his feelings was so much easier now, or maybe it's from the lingering adrenaline of pain or something. He has no idea how he works anymore but at the moment now, he just wanted to make sure Jake wasn't going to do anything stupid.

" ** _HEY FUck WIT._** "

Jake flinches at the sound of his voice, at how loud it was, at how  _close_ it was to him because Karkat was now within arms distance with him, just standing there, looking down at the green skeleton hybrid that was Jake English. There's deep scratches on the floor and walls around him, mostly made by his new buff arm, something Jake clearly hates with how he was clenching it so hard with his normal-ish human hand, digging his nails into his skin to the point where blood was beginning to bloom from the act. Karkat hates it. The sight of bright human blood- reminds him of his own, though the sight of red on green skin makes him hate it all the more for some reason. 

" ** _O-OH, HI THERE ERM- KARKAT RIGHT? I-wait, that's- my voice-_** " Jake cuts himself off, he was as loud as Karkat then, he tries to control it like Karkat, having a more difficult time to do so as he tries. " ** _p-pardon my Um, voice. it's, complicated._** " He says, visibly ashamed and squirming uncomfortably in his little pity corner.

" ** _I'm not fuCKing judging, hear my own shitty ass voice JaKe. It's horrendous._** " Karkat replied with a scowl, going over to sit near him by the wall, respecting Jake's space. Jake's both thankful and apprehensive. " ** _SpeaKing of horrendous, you looK liKe shit._** " He says bluntly, feeling a little bad at the flinch that Jake gives him the instant he uttered the sentence.

Jake gives a pitiful whimper, green clawed hand clenched against the ground, leaving another set of scratched in the tiled floor. " ** _i look like caliborn. like lorD ENGLISH._** " He says quietly, ending it with a loud growl, he flinches at himself and falls silent. It's obvious that he hates his new physical looks, the type of heinous looking hybrid that he'd become left a bad taste in all of their mouths.

Karkat could spy Future Dave glancing at them occasionally, dutifully returning his gaze to the three others when Karkat barred his teeth and mandibles at him in anger. With a huff, he focused back on Jake, deciding to speak since it was clear that Jake wasn't going to say anything. " ** _Wasn't really talKing about that but there's fuCKing that too._** " He told him, not really lying. " ** _You were the first to waKe up shit rag, you looK liKe shit beCause you just woKe up from a painful nap of agony and nightmares._** " 

The way Karkat says it in the most deadpanned voice ever, it makes Jake snort, just the tiniest bit. It's not that funny but it makes Jake snort slightly and that's enough to start to make him feel better. 

" ** _Not gonna lie that you looK liKe shit for looKing liKe that shitstain CalifuCk or whatever his name was but looK at the rest of us. I'm a goddamn Crab monster, gaze upon my weirdass mandibles and these, weird mini-side legs or whatever- John's a Clown bitch, Dave's a bird bitch and Roxy is an eldritch terror. You're not the only one who got the short end of the stiCK En-JaKe._** " Karkat told him bluntly, correcting himself when he was about to call Jake his surname since it was bad enough he was now not only sharing his name with their previously biggest adversary of the game- he now also shared partially his  _look_ and that didn't help things at all. " ** _Despite what you looK liKe though JaKe, you know for fuCking sure you aren't that bulge munching douche fuCker Lord English. If you were, you'd be flouncing around liKe him and being a gigantic bulge munching douche._** " 

Suffice to say, comforting other people wasn't something that Karkat was too confident on about but he certainly  _made_ the effort for that since he was too nice for his own fucking good. 

Nonetheless though, Jake seemed to appreciate it, calming slightly. " _ **...thank yoU karkat...**_ " He said with sincerity. 

Karkat nodded back, both newly turned monster hybrids stayed in slightly more comfortable silence that was shared between them. 

It would take a bit more until John and Roxy awakened. 

Afterwards though, they all wouldn't have much time to come to terms with their new situations. 

As a rift opened in John's neighborhood. 

" ** _tick tock. attack time._** " 

* * *

There was a hole in the sky. 

A torn rift of what looked like space and reality, and it looked terrifying in the dark sky. Rumbling clouds ominously floating around all the way to the horizon of the neighborhood. Later, meteorologists and scientists alike would be baffled and dumbfounded to find that the clouds only stayed around the neighborhood, nor crossing the borders at  _all_ to any neighboring areas. It just stayed in that one neighborhood where the rift started and would disappear in the end.

But that was for later on. 

Currently, the rift in the sky pulsed dangerously and  ** _something slipped out_**. 

People, who had been coming out of their homes to investigate the sudden weather change only to find a torn spot of reality in their neighborhood sky, screamed as a hulking  _monstrous_ figure landed harshly on the roads. Cracking the pavement and letting out a guttural roar that shook the earth. 

It was gigantic, easily reaching the heights of most roofs of most suburban houses nearby, it sported two heads and with harshly frothing an inky-yellowish foam from their tusk and fang containing mouths. One head had two bi-colored eyes of red and blue while the other was just a cyclops with a solid white eye with several white spots underneath it. But if they had taken a closer look, they would have seen that the white 'spots' were actually minor eyes that matched well with the spider-like legs that emerged from their back. 

No one knew what it was, no one except Karkat who would identify it as a Giant Ogre with the prototypings of Sollux's Biclops lusus and Vriska's Spider lusus. 

Only it looked far more grotesque than it should be.

Something to note that most prototypings in the game were smoothed over and less realistic, the game enemies were truly just game enemies that the player had no fear against. It had no realistic designs.

Now however? It was far too realistic and most people were fucking terrified over just that.

Unfortunately, the rift didn't just spit the one monster out, it was just getting started.

After another ground-shuddering roar, the hole of reality, space and time shuddered once more and before anyone knew what to do- a wave of monsters were pouring from it.

People screamed. Panicked. They raced back into their homes in a futile attempt to save themselves and to find safety from the incoming demonic-like beings that came. 

It was a futile effort however, as the underlings, far more realistic, aggressive and ugly than they should be, started attack everything in sight. Shrieking like the literal hellions they were, destroying everything in their paths- which also included themselves and their fellow underlings sometimes, but they stopped for nothing, spreading destruction and chaos as they rampaged in the new universe they were sent into.

* * *

" _Mom watch out!_ " Feferi shrieked, holding on to her seat like it was her only lifeline. And in situation, maybe it was. 

Her older sister Meenah cursed furiously and screamed along with her while their mother just cursed entirely. Holding on for dear life as they drove through the suburban road, pandemonium in the process as monsters and people run amok. " _Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-_ " Ondine cursed heavily, trying to avoid the humans and monsters- it was too late to try and turn around, she doubted that she even could. It was already a miracle she was driving through this mess. The only thing she could do was try to make her way to her friends. 

Unfortunately, there were a lot of things in their way, and with Ondine's dangerous driving it was only a matter of time before she-

" ** _MOM!_** "

**_SCREEEEEEEC- CRASH!!!_ **

Crashed.

Ondine had swerved harshly when another car almost collided into them, another possibly family just trying to flee from the area. Trying to avoid from crashing into the car, the eldest Peixes woman ended up crashing into a tree instead. The airbags exploded in a loud  ** _fwump!_** sound. Meenah and Ondine crashing into the bags while Feferi jolted from her seat only to be pulled back into the back seat, thankfully staying put with the help of her seat belts instead of sent flying out of the now broken window. Feferi was never going to complain about safety in the car ever again. 

Meenah and Ondine shared mirrored groans. Meenah seemed fine, a few cuts on her face from the flying glass that came when their window shattered on the resulting impact with the tree. Ondine had it worse, a gash on her face but thankfully she didn't have a concussion. "Y-You girls alive?" The mother questioned with a pained groan as the airbags deflated. She got her answered in pained groans. "Oh good. Quick we need to-"

She was interrupted when Feferi let out a squeal of terror alongside the sound of screeching metal bending forcefully against its will. From above, the car's roof  _peeled_ back after sharp claws pierced the edge. The ear-grating metallic sound was nothing compared to the monstrously deep and low growl that came from the reason why their roof was peeled back. 

A dark green, two-headed monster stared down at them, both only sporting one eye and large spiked foreheads. One of them had what looked to be bull horns while the other didn't. Strangely plump lips were pulled into twin snarls, tar-like-jade drool coming from the corner of their mouths which looked large enough to effortlessly bite off a full grown man's head off. Scaly clawed fingers  _ripped_ the car roof off, throwing it away while the Peixes family panicked in the car. 

" _Run!_ " Meenah barked, slamming her hand on the buckle of the seat belt, tearing it off of her so she could escape. Ondine followed but Feferi was frozen in fear, it lead to her downfall as one of the giant green hand grabbed her, easily taking her from the car, the seat belt cut from the sharp claws and strength behind it. Feferi wheezed, her sides squeezed together. " _Feferi no!_ " Her elder sister screamed, she and Ondine stopping their escape attempt when they saw the young girl taken into hand by the monster. 

"M-Meenah." Feferi tearfully stammered, trembling in the monsters grip. "Mom, h-help!" She cried out, finally snapping out of her frozen terror and trying to squirm and thrash. It was vain attempt of escape, the hand was simply too strong and firm around her waist to do anything about, her feeble human hands couldn't do any damage against the scaled skin of the monster.

" _ **Feferi!!**_ " The Peixes matriarch shouted, fear, despair and anger pumping hotly through her heart as she sees it, Meenah's attempt of attacking the monster is dangerously reckless and Ondine could only hold her back because the monster already has one of her children- it couldn't have both.

Was this really going to happen? Her youngest daughter was about to die right in front of her and her eldest? 

The monster drooled, Feferi staring wide-eyed through her cracked pink-rimmed glasses as she was brought closer to both heads, the closest one opened it's mouth and showed off a sharp row of teeth. 

_She was going to die._

She had to do _something_ , she **_had to_** -

**_Hissssssssss_ **

A vicious clicking hiss came out of nowhere. A red blur appeared out of nowhere,  _slicing_ through the monstrous hand, causing the two-headed beast to howl in pain. Feferi screeched as she fell with it, her fall was cushioned by the hand which quickly became limp and let go of her, she was quick to get away this time with the given chance of freedom. She cried out, tears in her eyes as she reunited with her mother and sister who were glad to have her back and safe but what had happened? What had rescued her? 

The answer was one pissed off crab-mutant. 

The family of three gasped as both heads of the behemoth were suddenly cut off, black colored blood spurting out of the two stumps. The large body fell uselessly on the ground and started to steam, slowly disappearing. Along with it, the cut off hand disappeared as well, leaving behind strange looking artifacts in pools of black blood. 

The culprit stood in one of the tar-like puddles, staining his shoes, no those weren't shoes, those were crab-like feet. Karkat Vantas, flicked one of his sickles to the side, flecks of blood were thrown off of the sharp blade which made the crab hybrid chirr in disgust. Despite the physical changes, it was quite clear on who he was, they recognized him- Kelvin had been telling the actual truth? Karkat had turned into a monster. 

"K-Karcrab?" Feferi hesitantly called out only to cringe at her usual nickname for him, never before had it been more fitting than now. She flinched back into Meenah and Ondine when Karkat's head snapped to look at her, facial mandibles clicking ominously. He looked  _terrifying_ standing in front of them like he was right now. Sharp mandibles coming from the corners of his mouth which was partially open to show off particularly bloody and sharp shark-like teeth. Red antennae sported from the top of his head, twitching furiously. In his clawed hands, were a pair of crustacean-themed sickles and from his sides, multiple but small crustacean limbs with very sharp looking edges emerged. He wore dark red clothing and on his chest, was a strange red symbol, like a small bleeding cut. 

"Dear fuck Shoutkat, what the fuck happened to you?!" Meenah shouted at him, staring wide-eyed at him. Her favorite Vantas was a fucking crab monster hybrid thing! 

Karkat snarled at them and Ondine tightened her grip on her daughters, shit. He looked hostile, why? Did he lose his mind along with his humanity? He had attacked his own dad earlier, shit- _movement_ - "Karkat?!" She shouted with indignant rage and fear when the mutant suddenly  _threw his fucking **sickle at them-**_

Only, his target wasn't them.

Behind them, a tall monster with a strange frog-like head screeched in pain as the sickle hit it dead on. 

They gasped and stumbled away from the screeching monster while a red blur went past them- Karkat, it was Karkat. He blurred past them and slashed his other sickle at the monster, killing it quickly. He retrieved his sickle and turned back to them, growling, " _ **Run. That way, go that way.**_ " He instructed them firmly, pointing to a certain direction- that was the way to the Vantas household. 

"But, Karkat-" Meenah and Feferi started to protest only to be interrupted by the crab hybrid who shrieked at them and their mother. " _ **RUN FOR FUck'S SAkE!**_ " He clacked angrily. Immediately, Ondine dragged her daughters away, following his instructions and running towards the Vantas household, hoping to reunite with her friends and their families in a hope that  _something_ would make sense when things ended.

Karkat howled behind them, the sound of him fighting echoed in their ears along with the screams of the neighborhood from both humans and monsters alike. 

As they ran, they avoided the monsters as best as they could, but as they did however they couldn't help but spot a few figures fighting multiple groups of monsters- more people like Karkat? 

They couldn't dwell on it however.

They had to run.

They had to live.

* * *

Jane had no idea what was going on.

First her cousin turns into a monster and goes missing, and now a monster attack?! 

Right now, she, her father and Uncle Jack were held up at another person's house- the Vantas house. They had ran back inside the moment monsters started to spill from the rift blocks away. Quickly they had tried to barricade every door and window on the first floor, Miss Moira Serket barking instructions at them that they had no choice but to follow eagerly if they wanted to avoid getting attacked by the monsters that spilled out of the weird tear. 

They armed themselves- sort of, Kelvin had kept a few guns within the house just in case of an emergency. And this certainly was an emergency. 

He had give the guns to himself, Miss Moira Serket, Mister Jasper Nitram and finally himself. The three of them proficient and experienced enough with the firearms in question, just three pistols and limited ammo. 

Jane's father and Uncle Jack were strong men, they've won their fair amount of boxing championships, some people had even called them freakishly strong. They would help in protection as well even though they couldn't shoot to save their lives. However, against the grotesque looking monsters that were rampaging on the streets? Maybe the more smaller ones could be dealt with, but the giant ones that towered over most of the humans there? Definitely not.

Nonetheless though, they would do their best to protect the children.

As for the children themselves, they were armed as well with make-shift weapons. Anything that they could use for attacking any possible intruder that could come through their barricades. 

So far, only smaller monsters were trying to get in, but they had managed to deal with them accordingly. 

"W-What do w-we do no-now?" Tavros stammered nervously, clutching the kitchen knife in his hands. He was beyond terrified of what was happening right now, Rufioh offered a calming hand to the shoulder, telling his little brother to breath in and out and calm down. They couldn't afford to panic right now, not with the fact they were trapped in the Vantas house right now. 

Aranea grimaced, "Not much, we could try to evacuate and escape the neighborhood." She suggested, glancing around- currently they, the teens, were all in the living room with Jane's dad. Uncle Jack and the other adults were elsewhere within the house, checking on things and making sure no other smaller beasts were trying to sneak in. 

"Escape the neighborhood? How?" Jane questioned incredulously, gripping her chosen weapon- a frying pan. "We're surrounded by monsters, there's bigger ones outside and absolute chaos on the streets! Driving out in a car would just end us with crashing into someone or some _thing_! And I don't think we can all fit in one vehicle." She pointed out, trying to stay calm and keep her head together just as her dad told her too. Speaking of her dad, he sent her a reassuring smile. 

"We'll be fine." He said, sounding oh so determined on the matter. They would be fine, or at least- their children would be fine. No matter what, the parents would protect them. 

Kankri took in a deep breath, "With how things are going, the authorities should be coming- the military should be coming." He said and it makes sense. Monsters coming from a mysterious source- the government just had to come. They just had to keep calm and safe for long enough for soldiers to come. 

Vriska scoffed, "And how do we know that they're not involved already? Maybe this is some, sick twisted military experiment or something." She retorted, making them all grimace. That was... a possibility that they just couldn't put down, it was unlikely though but it was still possible. "Hell, maybe they had something to do with Karkat and the Egbert kid's transformation!" 

Jane frowned at her in disapproval, "His name, is  _John_." She stressed to the cerulean-wearing blond girl that was only a few years older than her. "Not, Egbert kid." She irked when Vriska just wordlessly shrugged at her with a muttered ' _whatever_.' Rude! She was so utterly rude! Now, she got that her friend transformed into some crab-like monster hybrid just as John turned into a harlequin-themed hybrid as well but that was the point! Besides, he was her cousin- they were close and they were family. She had no right to just, be rude like about him.

Still, now was not the time to do something about her rude behavior. 

"Children, please." Her father said, glancing between them and the window he was peeking out of, grimacing at the chaos on the streets- there were so many people running away and getting hurt. His chest thumped when he sees a small little girl crying in her mother's arms as they ran, chased by a tall, thin monster that lumbered after her- oh how he wanted to help. But he had his own child and a few other children to look after right now. "Now's not the time, though I must agree with young Kankri on this. For now at least, we stay in the house and keep ourselves safe."

**_BANG BANG BANG_ **

They all jolted at the hard bangs that came from the front door, immediately they tensed and were defensive- that is until a familiar voice shouted from behind it. 

" _VANTAS OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR RIGHT NOW._ "

Kankri and the others looked surprised while Jane shared a look of confusion with her father, "Ondine?" The eldest Vantas said incredulously before he scrambled towards the front door, the others following after him. "Ondine, is that you?!" 

" _YEAH IT'S MY MOM, AND ALSO US INSUFFERABLE! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, LET US IN FOR GLUBBIN' FUCKIN' SAKE!_ "

"Meenah!" Aranea gasps out, quickly, she starts to take down the barricade at the door. 

" _Please let us in!_ " 

All three Peixes were at the door?!

"Woah, what the fuck are you kids doing?!" Moira snapped the moment she, Jasper and Uncle Jack returned to see the teens unblocking the door.

Aranea glanced back to her mother, "It's Meenah and her family! They're at the door, we have to let them in!" She explained quickly, Moira's eyes widened as Ondine's voice came from behind the front door. 

" _Moira you bitch let us the fuck in right now! We are not going to die here after Karkat saved Feferi!_ " 

Kelvin and Kankri jolted, "Karkat?!" They chorused- Kankri hurriedly unblocked the door and very near tore the door open, three familiar women fell into the house, frazzled, terrified but ultimately relieved to be inside- but behind them, a small group of monsters came towards them. 

" _Get down!_ " Jasper shouted, he and Moira aiming at the incoming threats. 

They cleared the entrance way as Jasper and Moira shot at the small monsters, aiming for their heads- "Get the door close!" Moira hissed the moment the last of the smaller monsters were dealt with. Quickly, they shut the door, the Peixes helping in blocking the door and making another barricade. 

Afterwards, they panted, the Peixes panting heavily since they'd been running towards the house as fast as they could without losing each other. Feferi's wrists would ache and bruise from how tight Ondine and Meenah had been gripping them- they refused to let her go until they reached the front door of the Vantas Household. Ondine has never been more relieved to see the house when it came to view.

"You saw Karkat?!" Kelvin frantically asked Ondine and her daughters after a moment, "Where was he- is he okay?!"

"If you saw Karkat- then did you see John?! He's, another boy, black hair, blue eyes- he's turned into a, a harlequin-like hybrid." Uncle Jack said soon afterwards, "Or maybe Dave? He's, blond- no wait, his hair changed to black but, he has black wings and a s-sword stuck in his chest." He explained, hoping that the Peixes had seen either boys. He would have asked for Roxy and Jake as well, but they weren't exactly sure on what they were- Roxy at least, no one knew what monster she had turned up as. 

Ondine gave him a weird look, "And who the fuck are you? Uh- no, we only saw Karkat, he saved Feferi from being chomped by a big ass monster." She replied, her daughter shuddered, wrapping her arms around her bruised waist, the phantom memory of the constrictive giant hand gripping her tightly. She flinched away when Tavros gently tapped her shoulder, looking concerned. 

The adults exchanged looks, Jack and Joe wearing mirrored looks of disappointment but also grimaces. They hadn't seen John, Dave, Jake or Roxy, but if Karkat was here then maybe. Just maybe, they were...

**_THUMP THUMP THUMP_ **

The ground shook slightly as loud sounding footsteps came from outside, Moira's eyes widened before she shouted, "Get the fuck away from the door- COME HERE NOW!" She commanded, a bad feeling pitted in her stomach- immediately everyone near the door scrambled over. Just in time as a dark red large foot collided with front door, smashing into the door and barricade. Jane screamed alongside many others at the feat- not to mention the debris that came from the now broken entrance of the house. Luckily for them, no one was too badly injured from it.

Unluckily for them though, there was a giant monster in front of the house. 

_**Wooshhhhhhhhh** _

The air moved unnaturally, the foot that was inside the house was suddenly tugged back by what looked like glowing blue string- it was wind, powerfully glowing. 

In the background, there was erratic but familiar laughter as suddenly the monster was pulled away from the house. It roared while a voice called out, " _ **nAuGHTY nauGHTY! No breaKING intO BuilDINGs UndERLiNG! EspEcialLY tHis ONE! mY faMIly'S in thERE! BaD! bAd moNstER!**_ " 

The Crockerberts' eyes widened and they quickly exited the house much to the others' extreme protests. "John!" They chorused loudly, eyes wide when they saw the spectacle outside. 

John, in all his monstrously harlequin glory, was floating in the air, wearing red and green-stained blue clothing, a torn windsock trailed after him alongside his detached arm as he flew around the monster, laughing erratically. The monster in question was forced still, glowing blue constraints made of wind and air prevented it from moving. 

The Serkets, Nitrams, Peixes and Vantas' came out just in time to see John pull out a giant hammer out of nowhere and bash it harshly against the monster's skull, a sickening  ** _crack_** was heard, John giggled at the sound. 

"Just what the anglin' fuck is going on." Meenah whispered in awe and fear as the harlequin twink monster boy raised the giant hammer again and brought it down- no doubt killing the monster in the second blow.

No one knew what the anglin' fuck was going on.

No one.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll be trying to update my other stories but uh, yeah that'll ultimately take a while- curse me and my multiple stories. Curse my self-restraint and stuff.  
> But anyway! Hope you all have a SPOOPY HALLOWEEN!

**Author's Note:**

> New story, new things. 
> 
> Might be a bit slow to update but then again I'm juggling other stories. So sorry. I have no restraint. 
> 
> Join the server if you want! Warning though, it's pretty chaotic in there XD  
> [Pyros Hydros Stories](https://discord.gg/csq76jF)  
> 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Another reality.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19830835) by [PepNpaps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepNpaps/pseuds/PepNpaps)




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